Squeakie

Today our little hammie girlie died. Her name was Squeaker,she was only just over 18months old and she was a rogue,a loveable rogue.

She was also the mummy of the hammies....the great brood of hammies,some of which still live at this house.

I remember clearly the day that I first saw her. It was July 2012,a warm sunny July day. I had been helping out at Chips school,we had been swimming...a true nightmare in most ways,like the hot school bus or the crowded noisy changing room which was not far removed from hell on earth,but good in other ways,like wow these kids were getting the grasp of swimming or hey look at the kids faces as they played catch in the pool. Anyway,we had wearily trudged home and as we walked up the drive Tigs appeared at the door. And I knew then that we had got a new pet. Honestly,I just knew.

The day before,our little hamster Budge had died and Chips had been devastated. And just by looking at Tigs face I knew that he had brought his kid brother another hamster.

I slowly approached him and saw the excitement on his face as he ushered Chips inside and yep,there in our lounge sat two little Russian dwarf hamsters.

The thing was,I didn't want another hamster,I wanted a guinea pig. I thought a guinea pig would be a ideal pet for Chips. Bigger for him to hold and stroke and more placid than a hamster.

The thing was though,I had now got a hamster,two hamsters infact,two little girl hamsters,who,after much deliberation we named Pip and Squeak. They were nearly Snow and Flake but the boys vetoed that name as too sickly sweet,so Pip and Squeak it was.

And very cute Pip and Squeak were. They lived in a big cage in the kitchen and were loved by all.

During the summer holidays,Chips started saying that Squeakie was getting a big tummy and that she was having a baby. Oh no said I,Squeak can't have babies...impossible....they are both girls,they won't be having babies.

Early in September Chips insisted that he had seen something moving in Pip and Squeaks cage,he said it was 'a baby.'

No,I said. Impossible. Two girls can't have a baby.

Ha!Ha!ha!

One Monday morning I decided to have a good look. I nearly died. There were babies! Four beautiful babies! I dived upstairs to tell Tigs and Sharky,nobody could believe their eyes. However we got to school that day I'll never know! We were flabbergasted.

That night we separated Pip and Squeak but the damage had already been done. The following Sunday Squeakie had more babies....five more babies and so the hammie saga began.

And it rumbled on for months! Some babies went to the farm park to live,one baby went to university ( with Tigs girlfriend) but most stayed with us.

Squeakie was a good mummy in general,give or take a few nipped hammie babies along the way! And after a while she had no babies left in her cage.

She still got up to tricks though and escaped a couple of times and went on the run until captured and bought back to captivity. In fact her last daring escape was just three weeks ago when she was found in the shoe cupboard by Sharky!

And she did have one last night of passion on the night that young Prince George was born. Don't ask me how but that night Pip found his way into Squeakies cage and spent the night there. Luckily there was not the pitter patter of tiny feet later and for that I was truly grateful!

As she got older Squeakie calmed a lot and would take food from our hands. Infact we fed her like this daily,she especially liked nuts and would beg for them and we could never resist her,so she always got some.

Young Chips adored her and always spoke to her whenever he was in the kitchen. She would always come to him. I don't think she had much choice,he would stand by her cage making the most horrendous screeching noise ever,he said she liked it,maybe she did.

Just this week we noticed Squeakie was really poorly,she had a lump and it looked bad. And within two days she was dead. We are sad.

I wrapped her up in some soft tissues and held her as she slowly slipped away. We had said our goodbyes earlier in the morning before we went to school but when I came home at dinner she was alive.

I'm glad she didn't die alone. I'm glad I held her and stroked her and talked to her. She looked very peaceful and she did hear my voice,I saw her eyes move,just as they moved when she heard Chips voice this morning.

It's always so flippin sad when a pet dies,isn't it. You get used to them being around. No matter how small the pet is, you just get used to it bring there. And the thing I find with animals is that they are there for you when sometimes people aren't. They don't judge you or fall out with you or say nasty things and when things are going wrong elsewhere in life you can always depend on your pet to be there. So when they are gone you miss them. And you realise what they have given you,unconditional love,no matter how small the little creatures are,they have given you love. I'm so glad I was there for Squeakie in the end,I hope she knew how much we loved her. I don't think there will ever be a hamster who has so many adventures as that young hammie had! Sleep tight little girl,we love you and will miss you but rest assured we will never forget you.